Counseling Medical Patients

Counseling Medical Patients

Are Medical Treatments Or Procedures Causing You To Feel Down, Depressed, Angry Or Anxious? Are you struggling to feel healthy and whole while in the midst of cancer treatments or following a surgery? Are you beginning to wonder if you may be suffering from some form of medical trauma? Perhaps you recently had heart surgery and are suddenly experiencing depression. Or maybe a succession of cancer treatments or a recent kidney or liver transplant surgery has you questioning if you can live a normal, healthy life. Have chemotherapy treatments worn you down, making it difficult to cultivate energy, hope and joy? Are you tired of feeling like a victim, stuck in suffering? Do you wish you could let go of negative thoughts and feel positive and focused on a healthy and effective recovery? Counseling medical patients can provide the help you need to move back from merely surviving each day to really living your life fully.

Medical trauma can affect anyone experiencing a life-changing medical issue or who has undergone invasive surgery. Prolonged physically and mentally intensive treatments and post-operation recovery can feel overwhelming and sometimes frightening. And, when the physical body is in distress, it’s not uncommon to neglect the needs of the emotional body and the mind. Depression, anxiety and cumulative stress can take hold and erode at emotional and mental well-being. You may want to find your way back to emotional strength, but feel too tired, stressed or confused to. You may also wonder if you will ever be able to lead a normal, healthy life and worry about how your medical condition is affecting the people you love.

What Is Medical Trauma?

Medical trauma can be caused by medical events, such as cancer treatments, organ transplant procedures or heart surgeries that create heightened stress or fear. While in the midst of cancer treatments and following invasive surgeries, many patients experience trauma symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, mistrust and relationship issues. Transplant donors and recipients can experience major anxiety and depression that can inhibit the patients from following their doctor’s medical advice. Even family members and spouses of patients undergoing cancer treatments and surgeries can experience changes in behavior and mental well-being.

If you’re suffering from medical trauma, you are not alone. Forty percent of all heart surgery patients suffer from some form of depression within six months following their operation, and up to 25 percent of patients diagnosed with cancer experience clinical depression. In families of patients, 20-30 percent of spouses of cancer patients experience some form of psychological distress and behavioral change.

Medical trauma can affect anyone who has undergone, is about to undergo or is currently receiving medical treatment. The anticipation of a diagnosis or the inevitable decline of a loved one’s health can elicit racing, anxious thoughts and cause patients and their families to feel helpless or even hopeless. While symptoms can sometimes be obvious, at other times, trauma goes unnoticed due to prevailing concerns, such as taking care of the family, maintaining a job or trying to heal yourself. Dealing with those external factors can create more stress and even slow the healing process.

Whether you are apprehensive about an upcoming diagnosis, fearful for a loved one’s future or are dealing with the effects of invasive surgery, there is hope and help. An experienced and compassionate therapist can help improve your sense of well-being and manage traumatic stress.

Counseling For Cancer Patients And Medical Trauma Can Help You Process Trauma And Experience Relief

Impermanence is frequently at the core of the fears and anxieties we experience when dealing with medical issues. The loss of mobility, energy and ability to participate in everyday activities can create symptoms of anxiety and depression and further complicate an already complicated situation. The idea of the impermanence and the possible decline of health or death can rattle even the boldest and most spiritual of people. The good news is that even in the midst of a difficult situation, it is possible to work through challenging thoughts and feelings, cultivate a positive perspective and feel more at peace.

In safe, confidential sessions, we can work through your medical trauma by addressing fears around impermanence, attachment, loss and grief. Using a combination of Western medicine practices and Eastern philosophies, I will create a mindfulness-based approach and help you cultivate courage, strength and happiness in the midst of the uncertainty you face. I can help you manage this sensitive and vulnerable time by approaching your unique situation with compassion and openness. It is my privilege to work with people at a most sensitive and vulnerable time, and I always endeavor to preserve dignity and honor trust.

While many people undergo similar diseases, symptoms and procedures, the experience is never the same from one person to another. I understand that each of my clients is unique, which is why I will tailor-create a therapy strategy that best addresses and supports your specific medical condition, needs, history, personality and therapy goals. In medical trauma therapy sessions, I can help you identify and re-frame negative thinking patterns, learn relaxation techniques and find grounding and perspective in the present moment. By re-contextualizing your pain and suffering I can help you find joy and peace within the moment.

For over 23 years, I have been counseling medical patients; providing guidance and support to people experiencing medical trauma and their loved ones. I understand the challenges that can come with invasive medical procedures and the mental and emotional toll they can take. But, I also know that there is always help and hope for healing. With support, guidance and an approach tailored to meet your specific needs, you can work through feelings of uncertainty and cultivate happiness, confidence and a sense of peace.
Although you may understand the benefits of counseling for cancer patients and medical trauma, you still may have questions and concerns about the process…

I’m too tired and taxed to add anything—even therapy—to my schedule.

Constant visits to doctors and treatment centers can be emotionally overwhelming and physically difficult to manage. It’s understandable that you may not want to visit yet another office, especially if you’ve been poked and prodded and fear exposing yourself even more. That said, counseling for cancer patients and medical trauma can help you process trauma and work through challenging thoughts and feelings. We will work at a pace that feels comfortable for you, which can keep you from feeling overwhelmed in sessions. Also, often when clients let go of heavy thoughts and feelings, they often experience increased energy and a more positive perspective on their recovery process.

I’m not mentally ill. Why do I need therapy?

We like to think that we can tackle the world by ourselves. The reality is, however, that humans are meant to live and heal in community, and we can all benefit from help. Seeking help is a sign of strength, and I find my clients are ordinary people trying to navigate extraordinary circumstances. Furthermore, a healthy mental outlook is a critical part of the healing process. Elevated stress and apathetic feelings can interfere with your ability and desire to follow your doctor’s orders and can even affect your body’s response to surgery or medical treatments. An experienced therapist can help you manage your mental health, process trauma and feel more empowered in your recovery.

My loved one is suffering medical trauma, and I’m struggling to cope. Can this kind of therapy help me, too?

Those who are supporting another through a medical crisis are often the ones who benefit from counseling the most. It’s not uncommon for spouses, family members and friends of those suffering from medical trauma to feel afraid, frustrated and overwhelmed. If you are struggling to understand or process your loved one’s medical situation, trauma therapy can provide you with guidance and support. In sessions, you can focus on your personal experience and work through challenging thoughts and emotions. When you feel mentally and emotionally balanced, you’re best able to care for yourself and provide care for the people you love.

You Can Live With Greater Ease And More Joy

You don’t have to navigate this challenging time on your own. I invite you to contact me at (713) 489-3329 for a free 15-minute consultation. I’m happy to discuss your specific needs and answer any questions you have about counseling for cancer patients and medical trauma and my practice.